WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1560 - Wolfgang Van Halen

Episode Date: July 29, 2024

For Wolfgang Van Halen, learning the drums, guitar and bass came easier than learning to deal with the trolling and resentment he faced for being the son of Eddie Van Halen. Wolfgang tells Marc how touring as part of Van Halen taught him what to avoid in his career and helped him gain perspective on the type of music he wanted to make on his own. They also talk about the universal experience of grief and how Wolfgang has been able to move forward after the devastating loss of his dad. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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What the fuckers? What the fuck buddies? What the fucking adians? How's it going? I'm Mark Maron. This is my podcast WTF. Welcome to it. What's happening with you today on the show?

I talked to a Wolfgang Van Halen. He is Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli's son and He's a fucking amazing musician. I learned a lot about him. Look I knew about his dad because I remember I guess what year did that come out that first Van Halen record? I don't know man. It must have been I feel like I must have been a sophomore in high school Freshman or sophomore in high school, freshman or sophomore in high school. I could do the math, but it was around there. The reason I know I wasn't a senior is because I remember walking.

I had to walk through the senior parking lot to the dirt lot where we could park. And I just remember the windows of cars open, just playing Van Halen's eruption. It was like, it was a seismic shift in, in the, in the cultural universe. It just, everything changed when that first Van Halen record came out. And around that time, I remember like maybe a year later than, you know, Sultan's a swinging came out. There was a lot of things going on musically.

Like I remember like freshman year, there was a lot of foreigner around. Whatever was going on, and you know, there was some new wave stuff, and I didn't really lock into the punk stuff, but there was no way to avoid Van Halen one. It was everywhere. The only other time I remember that happening

is when I was in New York City, I guess the early 90s when Nirvana's Nevermind came out and everywhere you went, it was there. But that was the same with Van Halen 1 and I remember I went to see Van Halen on their first tour and that was, I didn't see them. I's it's an odd thing. I remember the the opening band I think was called the cats if that's possible and I remember some kid that I didn't know that well that may be nervous He was not he wasn't he wasn't scary in a physical way But you know, he was a little tweaky and a little intense and I saw him

I had good tickets because I think my dad knew the promoter or something and we were down the floor and that Kid gave me a pipe. I took a hit out of it, and then I don't remember much of anything I think I ended up on the floor which wasn't unusual in high school, but I missed the entire Van Halen set So I wish I could say that I had my mind blown by Van Halen, but I didn't. I had my mind turned off by something in a pipe and probably a mixture of other, you have alcohol and other drugs. But nonetheless, I don't want to get off rambling about Van Halen because I'm talking to his son and you can't avoid talking about that. There's a new, uh, behind the music about Wolfgang and just about him dealing

with his father's passing and their relationship and he and it was a beautiful thing you know this is a this is a solid kid this kid and an amazing musician his most recent record is called Mammoth 2 he's on tour in the U.S. and Canada in August and I just had a lovely conversation with him but you, a lot of it was about Eddie and what it's like to be Eddie's kid. And you know what that means to fans, both for, you know, good and bad. But, uh, I was very, uh, I, I just, uh, a solid guy and a solid musician. So look, I am, you know, in Vancouver and, uh, I was trying to get ready to do this talk to you. And I just found myself rewatching a real scrolling.

I watched a reel of women pretending to fart in front of their partners like four or five times, like with some sort of straw device, four Four or five times I'm watching women fake fart in front of men for a reaction. Four times. I'm not going to get that time back. I've, I've got a problem. There's got to be some sort of recovery for this real, this scrolling compulsion. It's ridiculous. I don't have any trouble

locking back into reality. So it's not like other drugs. You know, it's not like I pull out of the phone and then I'm like, you know, I need an hour or two just to regroup. I mean, I'm still, and I'm very aware of this. It's weird because I watch the phone

and then you're in that world and it takes over your whole fucking brain. And then just you're out shut it off move away from it close up the app and I'm back in the real world if there's no big adjustment and I'm not I don't crave to get back into the phone and I don't mind the real world and I'm fully engaged in it but once I get on the phone it just starts to I just start to do that thing and I don't know I guess I guess I need help I guess this is a cry for help it could be other drugs it's not it's you know there's some heavy fucking fentanyl casualties around here you know I guess it's probably fentanyl

and meth but I I can't stop I'm kind of fascinated morbidly and I always have been with the effects of drugs, you know, on the streets. And obviously it's devastating. It's sad, but I mean, this goes back to when I lived in New York, on second between AMB, there was just the junkie parade. You know, there was a drug dealing doorway next to where I was living. I was sober then. I think that was the first shot at being sober.

Was it, what, 88, 89? Right, yeah. So I think I was sober for the first time about a year. And I remember moving down there and just seeing these These fucking heroin zombies line up in the doorway next to where I lived you know waiting to get their fucking stuff waiting for the fix and It was just it was so sad and Disturbing and I'd see it every fucking day

disturbing and I'd see it every fucking day needles on the streets people nodding out little parades of junkies some of them, you know trying to get on the methadone and they'd walk in groups of two or three With this sort of weird heroin hobble and you know in and out of nodding off tilting but the weird thing about it is and I guess this is part of my brain that I always have to be aware of because, you know, this is what sobriety is based on, is that at some point, after a year or so of looking at those sad cases, the shift from like that is so sad to like, wonder what you know, what is it that they would sacrifice their life and their dignity and their sense of self To maintain this fucking life What is it? How what is how good is it? That you and in obviously it's not it's not about Good necessarily. It's an addiction. But you know, it was obviously what was making their life worth living for, I guess,

or maybe it was what they had to live for because of their disease or their addiction. But at some point in time, it must've felt pretty fucking good. And it was, that's the scary moment when you're a drug addict where you're like, uh, that's fucking, that's fucking awful. Yeah. Okay. All right. I'll try it. But this fentanyl thing, the thing that I'm noticing is that look, when I was hanging around down there in the Lower East Side, there was a nod, you know,

there was the nod is that you'd see these heroin junkies tilting, but they don't, they, it was just sort of like a quarter way down You know like a quarter way down, you know Usually or quarter way back where they just be standing there in the fucking nod but the tilt was like it was not it was about quarter way and What I'm seeing on the streets here is like full tilt man And what I'm seeing on the streets here is like full tilt, man. You know, 90 degree angle to like all the way folded over, but still standing.

And I was thinking like, well, it must be some kind of effect on the spine or something is happening in the nervous system that that's the difference, you know, with this fentanyl stuff in terms of that, that tilt, that nod. And then I saw an article about that, just addressing that full tilt nod of fentanyl. It just said why, you know, the, whatever the headline was, why does fentanyl cause this?

And so I'm thinking like, I'm going to read it and I'm gonna you know I'm gonna find out some science about this because I've been curious about it because I'm walking bio out of these addicts down here and I read it and and the primary difference the primary difference between the quarter tilt heroin nod and the full fold fentanyl nod is it's just that much better a drug. That's all, there's no science to it. It's just twice as good. So you get twice the fucking tilt Now look, I I know some of you can be sensitive about that like no, it's not good. There's nothing good I'm it's a joke relax

But that that was the hard science behind it The reason why they're tilting all the way over is because the high is that much more intense? and I saw guys I saw and look, it's easy game. I guess, you know, if you're kind of insensitive to make fun of drug addicts or houseless people, and it's not really where I'm going with this, because there's some part of me that has, there's full empathy to it,

but there is a sort of comedy to drug addiction. And I know this because I've spent a lot of time in meetings and you know, God willing or the universe willing or themselves willing if they, if they are able to kick the stories you have about the human experience and the darkness of it in terms of humor are profound So I'm not just blatantly making fun, but I did see these two

fentanyl addicts down here in on Hastings Street and they were fully Fully tilted. I mean like they're like, like fully folded in half, standing next to each other, having a conversation, probably about a very small amount of money or another corner, but, but, but they were just doing that. They were both down there, folded in half, down there folded in half chatting. So what that indicates to me also about this particular drug is that they think they're standing up. This is just part of the thing, you know, because they don't, they don't go all the way down. They're not laying down. You know, they're,

they, they think they're functioning in the world. It's a very sad thing, but also not unlike many sad things, it's hilarious. It's hilarious. And I hope they get sober. Did I bookend that all right? Did I qualify that properly as to not make people upset with me trivializing or dismissing

the horrors of drug addiction. Did I folks I'll be in Tucson, Arizona at the Rialto theater on Friday, September 20th, then I'm in Phoenix at the Orpheum theater on Saturday, September 21st. There's a lot of dates coming up towards the end of the year and into next year. You can go to WTF pod slash tour for tickets and see all the latest updates to my dates. There have been some to make room for this movie. So tonight Alhandro Escovido is in town here in Vancouver and he's asked me if

I'd play a couple of tunes with him if I wanted to. And of course I want to. And, um, it's weird. It's not weird that, but it's, I'm still really not confident playing guitar with people. I get profoundly nervous and it reminds me, because the other night I did a set down at the Comedy Underground. I was talking to these comics. There's a lot of amateur comics

that come through these rooms. And they're trying stuff out, but most of these comic run rooms are people that are pretty short. They haven't been in the game long, and they're trying to figure it out. And I'm talking to some guys that have been doing it like six months to a year. They're asking me questions and whatever.

But just talking to them about that first five minutes that you have, that first five to eight minutes that you have ever as a comic and how you lock into that and the kind of panic you experience For sometimes weeks on end just to get ready to do one spot or two spots The thinking about it all week the nervousness that and all you got those six jokes seven jokes eight jokes And you just hang on to them because you're just trying to figure out how to stand up there and do them. But the nervousness, for me, used to consume my brain.

I would have an open mic to do, and I'd have like four or five minutes of stuff, maybe eight, and the entire week was fucked, because all I'm doing is thinking about that. And I told one of those guys the other night, I'm like, I am so glad I don't have that anymore I mean I have nervousness about other things but I will tell you though when I got to play guitar at a thing and that's with a band you're not even up there by yourself I mean God forbid you well

you're gonna fuck up I'm gonna fuck up but you got a whole band there you're not gonna sink the whole ship for fuck's sake but Jesus Christ I'm consumed with nervousness I'm working on these goddamn songs. There's nothing easy about it. I want to have a good time, but I'm so nervous about playing well that, uh, you know, I can't and I wonder if that's like most things in my life. I'm so nervous about doing it well that I'm missing the whole enjoy the experience part, huh? Might've just come on something there. I might've just had a realization that I'm missing the whole enjoy the experience part.

Huh, might've just come on something there. I might've just had a realization there. The songs are Beast of Burden and Like a Hurricane. I don't know either of them, but I learned them, and hopefully it'll stick, but I do know one thing about me. If I gotta play guitar in front of people, with other people, I'm gonna choke a little bit. I'm gonna fuck up something and hopefully get back on it Man, I one time choked with Jimmy Vovino at a gig on going going gone the Dylan tune and it's a song I played before Yeah, and then and I and I fucked it up and I had a hard time finding my way back and was so embarrassing

Because it's like you just you've got a three-minute song All you got to do is get through the song. I mean that's the that is it's not a challenge But that is what you're supposed to do When you're playing a song with a band and you know and you fuck it up then it's like you just what did you fucking do? It's three minutes, dude You couldn't like you just pay attention anyway see this is how I beat the shit out of myself this is my process look I'm feeling pretty good about my diet lately and and food stuff in general but

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Wolfgang van Halen It very exciting. I didn't know what to think or what to make. I watched the behind the music I listened to his music. I really listened to some of his old man's music and it was fun, man It was fun to do that. You can watch that behind the music on Paramount Plus. He's also doing a stadium tour throughout August in the US and Canada. Go to mammothwvh.com for tour dates and tickets.

And this is me talking to Wolfgang Van Halen. Hey, folks. me talking to Wolfgang Van Halen. Hey folks, I don't know if you know about this house that I live in now, but one of the reasons I bought it was that the garage had been converted into a room. There was a bathroom put in, there was drywall put on the other side of the door, and basically it was no longer a garage, it was a room. And I thought, oh well this is amazing, I'll do my podcast in here. And honestly, aside from using it as a place to do the podcast, this is now a perfect space to host on Airbnb.

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There's extra money just sitting there. All you gotta do is Airbnb it. Don't take my word for it. Check it out. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.ca slash host. You're just back? Yeah, I just got back.

Like when? Friday. Friday. Wait, no, yesterday, what day is it? Today's Sunday. I got back yesterday. Yesterday from? From Munich.

Munich? Yeah. So you all fucked up? I'm very fucked up. I was more fucked up there. Then I got some sleep when I got back. But flying out to, basically I think I spent more time in the air than I did. What was it?

You just went for one show? Yeah, we were opening for Metallica in Munich. So all you guys just went out there for one? Yeah, yeah. Because it was that important? I opened for Metallica, yeah, for sure. But I think, you know, the way they tour, they have this very unique schedule

where it's two shows a week and they have different openers for each separate show. Oh, I see, so you weren't just popping in on one gig and they were going night to night. Yeah, no, that was the one we opened on that one and then they did a show two days later in the same place. Yeah, who opened that one? I believe, if it's the same as last year,

it was Ice Nine Kills. I don't know. Yeah. It's not, you're sitting here pressing your brain. I'm like, I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna, it's not gonna make. I was trying to think, it's so weird because I was like all of a sudden doing this research

because I saw your dad, and I'm sure you get this all the time from guys this research, because I saw your dad, and I'm sure you get this all the time from guys my age, whatever. But I was trying to track it because it was not a great experience for me. It was in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I grew up. It must've been the second tour. And all I remember is some creepy guy

who went to high school with me saying you want to hit a hash. And I took it and I blacked out the entire fucking, I didn't see Van Halen. And I kind of remember some band called The Cats open for them. And I tried to like validate that. And then for a minute there,

I couldn't find that the tour even existed. I was like, no, I was there. Your body was there, but you weren't. I missed the whole thing. It would probably been a good show. It would probably have been a good show. It was probably gonna be a great show. But I remember that guy's face exactly, the guy with the fucking pipe.

I remember that guy. That's unfortunate. Yeah, I don't think it worked out for that guy. You know, I'm doing okay. But I'm sorry I'm just pan-hailing. But so do you know those guys in Metallica pretty well? I mean, I had met James once in 2015 briefly. And then I met Lars at the Taylor Hawkins tribute show

in London. Yeah. And then we sort of hit it off there and then we got the ask. That's, but for them, I mean, like a couple months later. From that gig? Yeah. And that's where you did the Hawkins tribute? I did the ask, so, but for them, I mean, like a couple months later. Oh, from that gig? Yeah. And that's where you did the Hawkins tribute? Mm-hmm, I did the LA one too, but the...

That was the first one, the LA one. The UK was the first one. Oh. That was the one that was broadcast and the LA one was just the sort of... Party? Yeah, party, your... Yeah, yeah, oh, so that was the one that was broadcast,

because I watched, you know, the Behind the Music thing. Mm-hmm. And that to me, what you were going through through leading up to that show I was like that's some that's fucked up. Yeah because like Because it was like your personal struggle. Yeah, no one else was thinking like if he doesn't pull this off He's never gonna get out from under these fucking idiots that will leave him alone But like you were like this is it man, this is it. It was so specific. Oh yeah, if I fucked that up, I would have,

I wanted to die for sure. But I mean, what was going on? I mean, how long had that been going on for? The trolling. Oh, my whole life. Since before social media. Really? Yeah, yeah.

Since you started playing publicly. Yeah, yeah. No matter what band. Yeah, yeah. Since you started playing publicly. Yeah, yeah. No matter what band. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I had a little band in middle school, but we never played shows, so it was pretty, it was pretty awesome. They didn't fuck with you in middle school?

There's no one in middle school going, nah, this guy, his dad's good, but. But it started like, which one with what band? Playing in Van Halen. Oh, but not before that? No. Oh. So what was it, just constant?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, from a neutral standpoint, I completely understand. I guess, but I got into it with trolls this morning. And what you don't realize when you're engaging, which you should never do. Oh yeah, I've taken a big step back and it's done wonders for my mental health.

Oh yeah, because there's part of your brain that's like the entire internet, and it's like, no, it's seven guys, you see seven guys. Yeah, it's the vocal majority. Yeah, it's like, but sometimes it's literally a group of 15 dudes. People who just revel in it, yeah.

And that's their hobby, is to deliver the goods. I engaged this morning, hadn't in like two years. And I was like, why the fuck am I here Yeah, then that just weighs on you all day, and it's just fucking pointless. It's corrosive Yeah, but like but you know you the thing is it's like when you engage you like I got this one And sometimes it works out sometimes it works out very well, but then other times. It's like yeah fuck I'm all I got not gonna. I just we both got mud on us, and oh yeah, ah, fuck, I'm all, I got all, we both got mud on us and now what the fuck? Yeah, and they keep last wording you,

and you can't, you know, you can't, it's, even if you're just, the worst part is, is you're like, you know, I'm just gonna be straight with this guy. You know, look man, I understand what you're saying, and- We're just people, man, like, let's just, let's just get through this, like, you don't know me, I don't know you.

Yeah, you suck, you can't, you can't win. It's impossible. But I mean, how did it affect, like how engaged with it were you when that went down? Were you obsessed with like just the whole? No, not obsessed. In fact, I tried to avoid it, I think, cause it was only in really dedicated spaces

back in the day, obviously. Like there's- What are we talking, nine, 2006? 2006, seven, so like all the dedicated like VH, you know, message, I mean, people even use message boards anymore, you know, it's stuff like that, like dedicated websites, where it's like, okay, just make sure I avoid those.

Yeah, yeah. And, but it was enough for you because, I mean, you were playing well. Yeah, I was just having a good time enjoying, you know, my newly sober dad and jamming with my family and having a wonderful time. And it was just this wonderful, happy, joyous thing until it went public.

And then it was like, oh yeah, yeah, I can see why people would wanna hate me. But it was like, were they crying about Mike? Yeah, that. And I think that's not something I, that's between my dad and him. I was just there to kind of make sure my dad stayed on the sober path that he was on.

And me being there for him and making, and just kind of keeping the train moving was my full intent. Like I would make the set lists and everything. I started putting in like B-sides that I don't think Van Halen ever played back in the day. Just keep them engaged? Yeah, I just wanted to give the fans something

because it's like, why can't we just make music and have a good time doing it? Yeah, did you play from all the records? I mean all the Roth albums, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And he was back in for a while? Yeah, yeah, for the time that I was in, so the 12 years that I was a member.

I interviewed him, man. How was that? Well, you know, you gotta keep him focused. He likes to go all over the place. I know, yeah, and it was like, and I kinda knew that right from the beginning, and I would just keep going. He's got a strap in.

I was just kinda, yeah. But I kept going back. I kept trying to hold him. Good on you. Yeah. People were impressed. They were like, dude, I never heard an interview like that. You know, made sense.

He told, the weird thing about him is I knew his, like his uncle used to hang out in the comedy club. It was a comedy manager, Manny Roth. Yeah, yeah. He, a cafe wa. Right. Yeah. Right. And he used to hang around the village gate in that part of the neighborhood.

When he was old, he must've been in his 80s, he was wearing his little scarf, and he had a young, hot Asian wife, and like, you know, and he was a real showman. Cause when I, when I was talking to somebody about this this morning, cause I told him I was talking to you, it's like, you know, he's, David Lee Roth is a song and dance man.

Yeah, yeah, it's all vaudeville. You know, that's his thing. That's it. Yeah. And you guys get along? Not really. At least as of recently, I thought we were on good terms and he actually made a couple YouTube videos about me,

about how much he doesn't like me. Really? Yeah, which was like, okay, cool, man. What was his justification? He basically just said a bunch of stuff that was true to him, I guess. It doesn't matter if it's not true because the people that are going to listen to it

will believe it and use it to hate me anyway. So you just gotta move forward. What the fuck are these guys? I just like, for the show tomorrow that I'm putting up tomorrow, I just went off on this weird, it's like, do something with your life. How is this your fucking hobby?

And why are these guys like, you know, these old guys, this is like, just shut up already. Yeah. I mean, like, I'm noticing it more now. Like somebody's like, oh yeah, on that movie, we didn't get along. It's like, why now? That was 30 years ago. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

They want, they need attention. I think the big thing, one of the bigger things is, is that my dad isn't around. So I think he just went for what's still there to kind of point at. Were they having difficulties on that too? Always. I mean, throughout their history, I think, absolutely. I don't know what it is with 80s bands. Like, just, there's always fucking something.

Like, I've kind of used it as my own, just like, I don't want this to happen. So it's like for my band, it's like, why can't we just have a good time and just be happy and make music? Like, is it that fucking difficult? You never quite understand what it is, but it is one of those things where

when you start out as kids and you've paid all your dues together, there's just no way at some point you're gonna not be like, just shut the fuck up. You know what I mean? Just like that. I talked to Geezer Butler. He's great. He's great!

Yeah, he's a wonderful, friendly man. Do you have that book? I do not have that on me. No, I'll give it to you. Yeah, oh dude, I'd love it. There you go. I don't always read what comes, but I didn't know a lot about Sabbath,

and it's all there, dude. It's fascinating. But what broke what broke them apart was like, you know, management and weirdness and bullshit. Bullshit. Yeah. Bullshit. But all your guys seem like good guys. Sure. Yeah.

But the bullshit happens and there you go. And you gotta get past it. Because I guess if you have musical differences, you know, the possibility of those escalating into personal differences be- I think the really tough thing with Van Halen is that, you know, my dad and my uncle never talked about it. You know, they just pushed forward

and kept doing what they were doing. I think that left room for interpretation or one side to be loud about it, to have the only truth be out there. And that's the only thing that people end up believing. And when, you know, that's not necessarily the case. I didn't even know, you know, until I watched the video. And granted, I haven't kept up with Van Halen

throughout all of it. I mean, they, you know, I was in, I was probably in 10th grade when that first album came out. Was that 78? 78, yeah. Yeah. So like I'm in 10th grade and all I knew is that the world had changed somehow. Because, you know, you could drive at 15 in Albuquerque and there was like the senior parking lot and like every car. You could just hear an eruption.

It's just like eruption. That's all you heard. And then people were like, what is happening? Because like the day before it was foreigner. Yeah. And it was just like the whole- And then people are like, what is happening? Because like the day before it was foreigner. Yeah. And it was just like the whole... And then an eruption happens. Yeah. And then it happened. But so I don't know the whole history, but like, a lot of it, when it was reported that your dad died of cancer, that was that. But it was a long struggle with a lot of different illnesses. Yeah.

You know, including addiction. Yeah. And so like, you know, the way you described, you know, the end was, it was not, you know, it was not cut and dry. It was a real struggle. Yeah, it was the hardest thing I've ever been through. I can't imagine. And I'm sorry for your loss.

No, it's fucking terrible. Thank you very much. But I'll sorry for your loss. No, no, it's fucking terrible. Thank you very much. But I'll tell you, man, like, you know, I watched that... I watched you do that thing at the Hawkins Tribute, you know, in the documentary, but then I go in my house and I'm like, I gotta find it, you know, I gotta... Because I knew what that guy was going through. He's like, it's a lot on the line that no one knew about. Yeah, yeah. And did you know you were in the pocket right away? I think once it was over and I didn't, actually I think you can almost pinpoint it.

Once I get done with the solo on Hot for Teacher, which is the second song, I think Grohl and I, during the verse, we just kind of lean up on each other's foreheads and just kind of wait for it. And in that moment, I was like, like, I can now enjoy the fact that I'm fucking playing with Dave Grawl and Justin Hawkins and Josh Frese. And it was over.

I did it. I pulled it off. Yeah. And did you see results? In what way? Did the shit talk stop a little bit or by that point you just quit looking at it? Yeah, I think it's always gonna be there. Because it's irrational. It's just at a certain point, the thing that angers the people who hate me is that I exist.

Just sharing blood with my father is enough to upset people. But yeah, I think a lot of people finally gave me credit and then there was a whole other bunch of people that were like, ah, there's no way. It was pre-recorded or something. It was to the tracks or... That's so fucking horrendous.

I mean, they said that when the Van Halen album I played on came out, everybody was like, oh, Ed must have played the bass and stuff like that. So what? It's fucking nightmare, dude. But that's the if anything, you take that as a compliment because you know the truth. I know I did it. And so if it's to them, so unbelievable that it must be tracked.

It's like, damn, I must have done a good job. That's a good way to spin it. Jared Larsen Yeah. Pete Slauson And Grohl is, like, as time goes on, I interviewed him years ago, but as time goes on, you're like, this guy's a great guy. Jared Larsen Absolutely. Pete Slauson I mean, like, you watch those videos. Jared Larsen You know why? He's not an 80s guy. Pete Slauson Is that it?

Jared Larsen The 80s guy is where all the drama and the bullshit are. But, you know, I think everybody just learned how to grow up as time went on. Pete Slauson Well, he had a pretty difficult front man for quite a few years, you know? But I guess it was different, yeah. Sure, sure. Yeah, the 80s were like, cause everybody was so gunning for this hugeness

and a lot of people got it and then a lot of people just disappeared and now they're back. Exactly. But he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He is. Like when he pulls his fans out and lets them play. Yeah, everything that you would imagine him to be, he is in the best way.

Yeah. But like I listened to like that fucking solo you did on Take A Vow. What the fuck? That's awesome, man. Thank you very much. Because like, you know, obviously, you know, you have flourishes of what you grew up with, but the phrasing is totally different. Yeah, I think people are sitting there just kind of waiting for me to outdo my dad in some way. And it's like, that's impossible.

I'm not, I am not him. I'm doing my own thing. And if anything, I'm outdoing him in that way because he wouldn't be able to play all the instruments on something. That's right. I'm a better drummer than he was, but nobody says that. But that guitar, so it was crazy.

It's really good. It's got a lot of elements. There's even like a most a proggy moment in there. Yeah, that was a really fun. That was, I really felt like an evolution. From the first album? From the first album. How so?

I think I was so focused on the first album on just kind of discovering the identity of what I offered as my own songwriter. Sure. But by the second album, I was ready to just kind of stretch a bit more and be more comfortable. And I think that's where that solo came from. And where do you like when you listen to your music or when you're kind of like,

because you have your own sound and it's not, you know, your references are not Van Halen. That's in me. That's the thing when anybody asks like, oh, who's your favorite guitar player? Who's your favorite drummer? I never mentioned my dad or Al because it's so obvious. It's in my blood.

It's not worth mentioning. Outside of my family? Exactly. Well, who are they? It's kind of all over the place really. I think a big, especially actually recently, there's a guitar player who I just toured with, which is really cool.

He has a band called Intervals. Aaron Marshall is his name. I think he's just an amazing guitar player and he inspires me. I was always a big fan of Paul Gilbert back in the day. I thought he was one of the Shredder. Who's that guy? He's just one of the Shredder guys from the 80s.

Oh, really? He was in Mr. Big and Racer X, and he was one of those guys that sort of came a little bit after Dad, that I think took it in an interesting direction. Instead of just trying to... Because in a way, Dad kind of ruined the musical landscape, because instead of everybody wanting to find out who they are, they just wanted to be that.

Yeah, how do you do that? Exactly. Yeah. But also like, it feels like your structure of, you know, like it feels like that Van Halen was a pretty hook driven band. Yeah, I think people focus on the guitar playing, but overall it was the fact that that is a great song, right? Yeah.

And that's what I shoot for too. It's not about flashy stuff. Like, there's stuff in there if you want to geek on it. But you're like a riff guy. Yeah, there's riffs, and I focus on, overall, the creation of the song, because I'm playing everything. Oh, yeah, still? Yeah.

And then on the road, you just take the band? Yeah, yeah, I got my live guys that help out. But on the records, you play everything? 100%. Every single thing you hear is just me. Is that just a control freak thing or? I think people want to turn it into that, but I was just really inspired by the way Groll did the first Foo Fighters album.

And since I could play everything, I wanted to see if I could do it. And with the first album, I found out I could. And I had such a good time that it's just like, man, let's just keep it going. And you can do your own pace. Yeah, exactly. You don't have to yell at anyone to do it.

If anything, it's like reverse control freakism, because it's just a way to deter the bullshit. After what I've seen through the years with Dad, it's like. Why involve anybody else? Why involve anybody else? Because it'll just get filled with drama and bullshit. Rock and roll drama. And I'm having fun with it.

That's great. Now, your uncle's not in the doc. You guys all right? And I'm having fun with it. That's great. Now, your uncle's not in the doc. You guys all right? No, yeah, we're great. He just, he's incredibly private. Oh really? I think that's another portion of why the Van Halen truth is always decided

by other people outside of the family because he never feels it worthy to speak up because it's just not something he's interested in. He's a very private guy. Doesn't want to be dragged into it's just not something he's interested in. He's a very private guy. He doesn't wanna be dragged into it. Yeah, and especially with dad not here. Yeah.

There's just no desire really to... Yeah, to drag it up. Yeah. And he's still around here? Yeah, yeah. He actually just wrote a book that's gonna be coming out soon. That's really cool,

because he's never really spoken on anything much, and for him to finally have this opportunity. A memoir? Yeah. No shit. And kind of just like the opportunity I had with the Behind the Music, like finally getting our opportunity

to tell our own truth from our own side is really nice. Well, I think the undercurrent of what makes the Behind the Music so interesting and different than the rest. It's not like this sort of, the arc is not of self-destruction. Your dad had a degree, but it's you. And what comes through and what makes it a kind of uplifting story is that despite whatever chaos was going on with him personally or even your parents, is that it wasn't directed at you No ever no, like I mean Jesus the wave Valerie Bernal your mom

You know just talks about you know, how much your dad loved you and how much she loved you swinging you're right out of the gate You're like, oh my god Like, you know there was thank God there was never a point where you like fuck you guys yeah, I'm, there was, thank God, there was never a point where you're like, fuck you guys, I'm outta here. Yeah, no, it was, it's, I think that's why it's so tough for me to be okay now, because like, his love was such a huge part of my life that now without him here, there's just this black hole

in me that just can never be erased. And it's just me trying to figure out that just can never be erased. And it's just me trying to figure out how to hold it. The grief. Yeah. And how are you doing with that? How long has it been now? Like a few years? It's been... In October, it'll be four years.

Oh, yeah. It's hard, man. It's very difficult. I think the way... When you released the song, I mean, that was, you know, very, you know, honest and heartfelt and like a beautiful kind of honor or, you know, what would you call it? Homage. Homage, yeah. Yeah, the poetry of it was beautiful.

But you know, even when you do that, it doesn't satisfy the absence. No, not at all. And so how do you experience that on a day-to-day basis? You know, as time goes on, it gets easier. You figure out how to carry it, you know, but still there's plenty of times where it's almost like, I think the closest way I can relate to it is almost like a PTSD style sort of triggering,

where it's like if I hear a heart monitor, the beep of a heart monitor, it takes me back to the hospital. If I hear the sound of an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser, it makes me think of being in the hospital and hearing that sound, walking out of the room and putting the hand sanitizer on. Little, weird little things, like you don't realize. But not the music. No, no, I think, well actually, when it comes to listening to Van Halen,

I really, I can't. It's very, very difficult for me. The hardest thing was for me to listen to Hot For Teacher over and over and over again to like make sure I had the solo down. Had the licks. And yeah, it's just very tough for me. And I think it's like the exact opposite, I think, for the people that miss him being a fan.

Is that all they have is what they've had to begin with, which is the music. For me, that's all I have left. Right. And so to not have him, it's just, it makes it very difficult because there's so much I wish I could share with him. Well, it's interesting because of what you were were saying before that, you know, I don't know if you've ever sort of, you know, fucked around with, you know, codependency recovery or any of that.

But you know, the idea that, you know, through most of your life, you felt like you had to keep him on track. So that bond is almost, it's deeper in a way, because you have the relationship, the love, but then you have this kind of, you know, this responsibility and this panic at all times, which, you know, you feel necessary. Yeah, I never expected to be in that sort of position so early in my life. Now, what are your earliest memories of the family? I mean, I think my mom was really good

at hiding the bullshit from me, that it almost gave me the superpower of total awareness, that I was always really able to start to tell, like, oh, if something's wrong. Oh, surprise, I'm going to a friend's house after school today. What does that mean, what's happening? Turns out, oh, they're giving him an intervention.

Stuff like that. You know? So your earliest memories, he's already pretty fucked up. No, actually, one of my earliest memories during the Balance era, the Van Halen album is he was sober for that tour and I remember that specifically because he cut his hair. And so I always related his short hair to good times so that when he got sober in 2007 for the first time and cut his hair after a long time it was like, oh my god, this is incredible, everything's okay again for a little bit.

And then, you know. How old were you when they split up? It was 2006, so I was what, 15? Oh, so it was like later, they kind of hammered it out. Yeah. But when did you start playing? I started playing drums when I was nine, guitar when I was 12, and bass shortly after.

And it was just, I imagine that immediately, like I'm sure you have no memory of your dad kind of wondering like, how is this kid gonna turn out? Yeah, he never pushed me into it. But when he saw that it was there, he was just very excited about it. And I think I remember there being a moment of my dad going like, dude, like, listen to him, like, he can play. And mom just being like, yeah, I see where this is going. And I understand that.

I understand that trepidation on her part. But I think I've managed to use my dad's experiences and been able to carve out a path of least destruction so far. Well, I mean, I guess it goes either way with people that grow up in that. Either they become sort of like constant kind of like, is everything okay people?

Or they become addicts themselves. Yeah, I mean, I got a bit of that for sure. But I think, I think the big thing that you see from a lot of people in my position is that that desire to chase everything that came before them rather than trying to find their own identity. Really? You know, just trying to be their dad. Oh, people in like, the few people that are following in their dad's footsteps in the arts. They do their most to just be like,

hey, I'm younger, like I'm the next generation of him and I'm doing what he does, come see me play his songs. And it's like, that's not what I wanna do at all. I wanna be- Now. Yeah, it's like, I wanna be my own person. But you felt that before. Well, when I was playing with him, yeah, obviously that was what I was getting out of that is being able to...

But when you start, like, is there a support group for children of... Are you and Jacob Dillon talking? Not really. No? I remember actually when he passed, somebody that reached out to me that meant a lot was Zelda Williams, Robinyn's daughter. And she's wonderful. And she really made me feel not alone. Yeah. Well, that's nice.

And she's wonderful. Yeah, that was a tragic... That broke my heart. Oh my God. Just like there are these guys, and I think your dad's one of them, where you're like, well, what's the world gonna do without that guy? Yeah, pretty much. It's like, fuck. You know what I mean? What are we gonna do? Yeah, and then some of them,

ones from the 60s are still plugging along. Yeah, how the, I just, yeah. It's crazy. It's crazy. But so when you start playing, when do you start actually sitting in? Like, I mean, if you start playing drums in your nine and your uncle's helping you out? No, actually, it's a funny thing.

Everybody assumes that my dad taught me and my uncle taught me. And the only thing that my dad taught me was how to play drums. He taught me just like he put, I told this story a bunch of times, but he put like books on a table. It's like with this hand do this, this one.

And if you do your foot in between that, that's highway to hell. And- That was the Hell. And, uh. That was the one. Yeah, pretty much. And I took that and I listened to Van Halen, Best Of, Volume One, and Anima of the State by Blink 182. And those two albums, I just tried to replicate

everything I heard, and that's how I learned how to play drums. Really? And you just sat in there and did it? So you never, like, you don't want jazz chops or anything like that? I mean, I think it might be a little too late for that now. Just kind of a heavy handed sort of rock vibe, I guess.

Did your dad like ACDC? Oh yeah, that was one of our bands. Really? Which album, Bond stuff? Yeah, Powerage. Powerage is the best record ever. That's a fucking down payment blues. The best?

Fucking best. I just told them, I just- Riff Raff. The best. Fucking best. I just told them where I just. Riff raff. The best. That album is like, I still listen to that album. Highway to Hell is very special to me as well, but Power is just a motherfucker. I know, well, Highway to Hell was like, you know,

this like, you know, here we, now they're gonna take off, but Power just raw as fuck. Absolutely. And all the songs are different. I turned some kid on, I'm doing this TV show with some kid, he must be in his early 20s. Never heard it. Never heard No never I got to turn that kid on to zeppelin one and two

And powers and I just watched this kid listen like what oh man. That's that's incredible I love our down payment blues is the best. Yeah, did those did you ever fuck around with those songs? It's funny the way he introduced me to AC DC was around with those songs? It's funny, the way he introduced me to ACDC was my parents pulled me out of school for a week and they rented a Winnebago and went to the Grand Canyon and he played Big Balls for me off of Dirty Deeds. That song made me laugh so hard just the way Bonds got sings on it. And from there I loved ACDC ever since.

That's how you got in? Big Balls. Big Balls, yeah. And that's on that weird record that first, what is it, early? That's on Dirty Deeds, I loved ACDC ever since. That's how you got in? Big balls. Big balls, yeah. And that's on that weird record, that first, what is it, early? That's on Dirty Deeds, I think. Dirty Deeds, right. But that got released later.

It was released in Australia first. Yeah, there was a weird Australian release and then a US release. Yeah. And what other stuff was he playing that got you going when you were like 10? It's so funny. It was really just ACDC.

And then the only other thing that we really bonded on that he loved was Peter Gabriel. What? Yeah. Like I can't even get there. Yeah, you're not into Peter Gabriel? I mean, the hits were okay. So is an incredible album.

Okay. I remember there was one night where he had like a speaker system on the floor. Yeah. He had headphones, he's like, "'Wolf, listen to this.'" Yeah. And he turned on Red Rain, which I think is the first system on the floor. He had headphones, he's like, Wolf, listen to this. He turned on Red Rain, which I think is the first song on that album. And he just cranked it loud.

And just hearing that just changed my life. That is an incredible song. Yeah, I mean, I tried to get into, because I got vinyl in there and I'm one of those old idiots. Me too, I collect all that shit. You do? Yeah. Because I was too, I collect all that shit. You do?

Yeah. Because I was like, you know, I had like a few hundred records from high school that I've been carting around and then all of a sudden you hit a certain age where you're like, I need to get all the records ever made, I think. Complete the collection, yeah. Yeah. And they're one of those bands that I had to go back, like, you know, like, because I'm not that prog driven. So people are like,

you gotta listen to those first two Genesis records. And I'm like, I listened to them, like, I don't think I have to. Yeah, it can be a bit too proggy. Yeah, I don't know what it is. It just doesn't, you know, land with me. Like, you know, Rush is pretty good and like, but you know, you listen to Yes, and it's sort of like, all right, I still just like that one part of Roundabout. Yeah, exactly. In and around the like, like the ACDC part of roundabout. Yeah, exactly. In and around the like, the ACDC part of roundabout. But what's weird when you listen to the vinyl of that shit is

that you hear that they're bands. Like if you just grow up listening to that, you shoot in your car, you're like, this isn't even real. But when you listen to like, to Yes or that Genesis stuff, you can hear those if you have good system. They're just dudes in a room. Just dudes in a room. And it's crazy, right? Yeah. I mean, that's the thing I take away from it. It's amazing that they were just dudes in a room. We used to have to really, really be able to play to pull that stuff off.

And nowadays, technology has really helped us, enabled us to play entire albums on our own. But yeah, back then, you's, but yeah, back then you really had to, that's just dudes in a room. But do you like the dudes in a room thing at all? Totally, totally. And I did that, I did that. On the Van Halen record? With Dad and I was in a band called Tremonti

and I did that there. And you know, I think so many people are like, why don't you do that? And it's like, I already did. I've been on a path that led to this. And this is where I find my most artistic satisfaction. But you're also just on the beginning of the path. So there's no reason to think that at some point

somebody's gonna say, yeah. Yeah, who knows? I'm having fun right now, but maybe on the fifth album I might be like, fuck, I don't wanna play drums. Yeah, and get some guys in here. Who knows? Put a little combo together. Let me figure it out. Don't figure it out for me.

That's the weird thing too about playing with Van Halen. I mean, to play in a trio as a rhythm section, it's a lot of responsibility. Yeah, yeah, it certainly is. Yeah, you forget. Right? Yeah, Van Halen is literally just a trio. It's crazy. When it comes to the band. When I talked to David with Roth, he put it in such a weird way, he said, the best metal

band of the 80s were two Asian guys and a Jew. Wow. That is an incredibly poetic way to talk about Van Halen for sure. Right? Yeah. It's like I never thought of that. I love it. to talk about Van Halen for sure. Right? Yeah. And it's like I never thought of that, you know? I love it.

So, when you're growing up, I mean, when did that, you know, the first, because your mom seems like such a saint and she has a lot of, you know, kind of, like I think, you know, looking back, she's been able to seemingly integrate whatever shortcomings she had in the dynamic, but still seems very grounded. Yeah. Was she always like that? Yeah. I think it's a reason why maybe I don't have a coke problem, you know?

Yeah. You know, I'm not just some shitty fucking asshole with a coke problem. Right. I think she instilled a bunch of morals. And same with my dad, with even the issues he had, I think just their, regardless of the issues they had together when it came to me, they were fully and unconditionally loving.

And I think that really helped me figure out how to operate as a person, for sure. And when they split up, you were still young enough to have to do the whole, you know, some time here, some time there stuff. Yeah, yeah, that always fucks you up, but that seems like a rite of passage at this point with divorce rates in the country. Yeah, yeah, mine didn't get divorced,

I was in my 30s, so I got off easy, I didn't have to decide who to live with. Thank God. Yeah, that's good, that's good. Yeah. You gotta take him when you can. but what how would you win when? Were you when they when he got that first cancer? Oh, man, they were still together I was I was really really young

But then it was taken care of you know, they just kind of chopped it out of his tongue and he was good. Yeah But he didn't stop smoking. No he loves those fucking cigarettes. Yeah. But was that because, cause I know your mom was talking about, like we told him and he just, and she hints at this thing,

and I think when I talked to David Lee Roth too, because I imagine that David Lee Roth, when they started playing, knew your grandparents, right? Yeah. I mean, they weren't around too long. I know my grandfather didn't even make it to the Hagar era, I believe. Yeah.

Did you know them? No, I never met him. I knew my, my, my Oma. She passed in 2004, but she mostly spoke Indonesian. She didn't really speak much English. Wild. Yeah.

And you didn't speak any of that? I did not. I just, anytime I'll go over there. Did your dad? Yeah, yeah. With my dad, we would always go over there and she was always, you know, belly aching about something to him in Indonesian.

And he would always just be like, Dah, ma. So maybe they were speaking Dutch, Yeah. But yeah, so, you know, but she was always very sweet to me. Yeah. Grandma. Right. But like, but, but your mom hints at this, like this, and I think it's a, it's an easy thing to backload, especially because trauma is so discussed, that there was this idea that your dad just didn't wanna deal with whatever it was. Yeah, I think he had a very traumatic upbringing. How so? I think his mom was very rough on him.

He always told me that she would tell him that he was a Nitznut, which was a nothing nut, you amount to nothing. He sure fucking proved her wrong. That drives you sometimes. Yeah, I guess, I guess. So, you know, maybe... Yeah. And I think David, you know, sort of said that, you know, they got like, there was racism. Yeah. Oh, big time. It's funny, people don't really think about that. Yeah. Because, you know, he looked just like kind of a white dude. Yeah. Oh, big time. It's funny, people don't really think about that. Yeah. Because he looked just like kind of a white dude.

Yeah. But back in the day, when he came to America, he was treated that way. Yeah. And they had to deal with that, both of them, huh? Yeah, big time. He could barely speak English, only like 10 words. He came to the country when he was, God, what, six. So, yeah, he just, yeah. Pete Slauson They had to deal with all that shit. But you never had those kind of conversations with him? Jared Slauson Oh, no, we certainly did.

I mean, we talked about just, you know, everything that he'd been through and all that. But yeah, it was a lot of stuff. Pete Slauson As time went on, you know, and as he got older and you got older. Jared Slauson Yeah, but I think, you know, at a certain point that trauma is just so baked in that it's very tough to deal with him And he did eventually get sober and he had his you know troubles with that But you know near near the end he he was Mostly sober. Yeah. Yeah, and it was a totally different guy? For the most part.

I think that that was another big thing for him was his anxiety. And that's something that I very much am realizing I share with him. Yeah, because there was a, I think there was a moment where, you know, he was scared. Yeah, that's why he drank. Even just from stage anxiety. Yeah. That's why he would drink. He just couldn't handle it.

And I think that was a big reason why being on tour with him in 07 and starting that gave him the confidence to be able to do it without drinking was looking over and being like, well, fuck it, my son can do it. He's 15, I better fucking nut up. So in a way that was kind of the only way it could have happened at that point. And was there a difference in his playing, drunk and sober?

No, maybe in his understanding of playing together, because sometimes he would count wrong and Al and I would save him and he would have no idea. But that's just a fun thing. But yeah, not really. He was just a fun thing. But yeah, not really. He was just always brilliant. So before Van Halen, what were the musical projects you were involved with? Nothing really.

I was just kind of a bedroom. I learned everything. I learned all the tabs from bands that I liked and I would play with friends in middle school like in my music room and that was kind of it. Were you up there all day long, just like do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. I was always playing drums for the most part.

And it wasn't until, you know, I would visit dad and Al at the studio and they were playing and I would pick up a bass and start playing a little bit that it was like, oh, this is pretty fun. How old were you? I was 15, 14 at the time, I guess. So you didn't pick up a guitar? I mean, I had, I picked up a guitar when I was 12. Yeah.

For a talent show at school. Yeah. But yeah, I never, I don't know. I was having the most fun on drums and I didn't really want to, I mean, my dad did start on drums, so I guess in a way I was following his footsteps. But yeah, it was just too daunting of a task for me

to compete with everything dad had done on guitar, which is why I guess it's taken me so long to feel comfortable playing guitar in something. But it's not that long. I mean, and like, you know, you're a very proficient player and you can really, like I've got guitars all over. I'll never be my father. Yeah, but so what?

But yeah, exactly. That's my answer to that. Who fucking cares? My dad was my dad. Yeah, but no what? But exactly. That's my answer to that. Who fucking cares? My dad was my dad. Yeah, but no one's ever gonna do that. Yeah, I mean, but like I got guitars all over the place and I can't get out of a pentatonic. Who cares? As long as you're having a good time. I'm having a pretty good time. But there's some part of me that's like, just

sit down with the thing. It doesn't matter. After the scales. Yeah, it doesn't matter that you're 60. I just learned my Mixolodian like six months ago. Yes, yeah, I don't even know that shit. I just play what sounds good. At least to me. But you know how to read tabs. Yeah, but that's like simple,

at least in comparison to like actually reading music. Yeah, you can't read music. No, that couldn't either. Yeah, but you don't know this different scale No, I don't know difference between fucking mixel odian and fucking Nickelodeon. Yeah Alright, so I just got to relax I guess, you know, yeah, just chill out. Yeah, and I just never But but you do know how like one thing you did do though was you could listen to a record and be like I'm gonna figure that out. Yeah Yeah, and what were you doing that with mostly when you were younger? Let's see. I mean AC DC was big

He's all pentatonic. Yeah That's the thing is that he's he's he's Angus is really blues based. He's so Anarchistic with the way that he plays. Yeah plays that it doesn't feel like it's bluesy. I know, it's crazy. And that's what I really enjoy about Angus's playing. It's just all just overwhelming. It's crazy, right? Yeah.

Did you meet that guy? I met him once, yeah. I also met Malcolm, who is arguably the best rhythm guitar player in history. Totally. So it was an honor to meet them. I've met Brian a couple of times over the years, and he's always wonderful too.

Yeah? But let's see, I was big into, I still am, Alice in Chains. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I really like Alice in Chains. You know, they're great, Jerry's awesome. Were you a Soundgarden guy? Yeah, certainly.

I love Soundgarden, but I think if I had to pick like the grunge band for me, it would be Alice in Chains. Oh yeah? Yeah. And that was when you were, that was that era, right? Yeah. I mean, I, usually at that point, I wasn't super, I mean, at that point I was growing up, I was listening to like Blink 182 and System of a Down,

everything all my friends were listening to in middle school, but I still had that appreciation for those other bands as well. System of a Down, pretty intense. Yeah, very, very intense. I remember in middle school trying to learn chop suey. That's how I learned how to read guitar tabs. From that?

Was with some trying to learn system of a down in middle school, yeah. You mean that guy, he was around here, I think. Surge? I have not met them. I have not. He's intense guy. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot going on there politically and there's a whole other country involved. Yeah, they are super intense for sure. Yeah, but were you ever like, in terms of like a message other than just sort of the poetry of your brain, did you ever feel like you were fighting that fight? Not really. I think I'm more just about trying

to figure out my own shit through music and trying to work through my trauma, you know? Yeah. And I can barely figure that out. So if I, you know, I don't want to try to start speaking for somebody else when it might not be my place to do so. What's your process with the songwriting?

Usually I figure out something that interests me on guitar, you know, maybe just absently, absentmindedly strumming on the couch or something, coming up with something that's cool, throw it on a voice memo, and then make a demo on my computer, and from there just kind of see if the idea evolves and we'll see what happens. If it starts with the music first? Always, yeah.

Then when it comes to vocals, always melody, because I think that is kind of the most important thing is having a melody that flows comfortably, and then you figure out the words later to make sure kind of that the vowel sounds are almost comfortable. I hate when you can tell certain singers are just shoving lyrics into it just to fit. I think it should flow comfortably. The meter of it should feel good. Yeah. And also, I imagine the Foo Fighters are an inspiration, right? Absolutely. The Foo's are probably one of the bigger ones, same with like Nine Inch Nails. I'm just a really big fan of when there's just a guy and it's like Trent Reznor, Dave

Grohl, and it just kind of comes out of them. And then they have the people they rely on and then they take it on together. And that guy he's got drumming for him is Nine Inch Nails guy, right? Yeah, Josh Freed, well, Josh Freed has guaranteed, if you've never heard of him, you have at least listened to him, just look at his Wikipedia, he's played on everything, everything, and he's fucking incredible.

Yeah, he's a monster on the drums. So after, like, you know, like after you do that run, so your dad gets the tongue thing, and then it's years? Yeah, yeah, no, it. No, it didn't come back in any type of scary, meaningful way until, let's see, I mean, like 20... I wanna say like 2013, 2012, 2011 maybe. Pete Slauson Oh, really? Jared Sussman And then that was right around when he got sober

again. And... Was he going in and out of rehabs and stuff? He did initially. And the first time, at least after touring, it really didn't work because they got him hooked on all these pills to get him away from the booze. And it just fucked everything else up because then he started drinking again on top of it.

And it was just a fucking nightmare. But he's- Did you go to like family days and shit? Was he ever doing inpatient and kind of- Sometimes. Yeah. And I mean, there was, I mean, a couple of times we went to like therapy together

and I had to try and figure out how to tell him that, you know, I just, I couldn't even word it properly as a, as I can't, what was I, 17. Yeah. You know? And it was just tough to put it into words, but he eventually figured it out and it was good. When it did get scary, like how did you know it was scary?

You could always see that he wasn't there. You could look into his eyes and see that there wasn't, like it was just kinda glazed over. Right. You could see him in there. You could look into his eyes and see that there wasn't, like it was just kind of glazed over. You could see him in there and you'd know he was there, especially when he would tell me he loved me or said something nice. You knew that he was easily irritable and that there was just something off.

It was very easy to tell, at least for me. Yeah. And then those moments, did you feel helpless? Yeah big time Because like what? That's I guess the most horrible thing is that like there's nothing I can do well And you begin to normalize it too until you know a third party comes around and goes like well. Yeah, I was fucked up It's like oh shit. You're right That is fucked up

Most most dads don't drive around with an open bottle of wine in the car, you know? Yeah, with their kids and their friends. Yeah, and it's like, fuck. Like, yeah, that's not good. Yeah, yeah, did he have close friends? Yeah, but I don't know. I think that's a tough thing,

being fucking Eddie Van Halen, is that you never know who to trust. That's right. And I never, I rarely trusted anybody that was around him, and I mean, at a certain point, he didn't either, you know? Yeah, because they're just on for the ride and they're fueling the... Well, look at how many fucking books have come out

about my relationship with Eddie Van Halen, and that tells you every answer you need to see. Are there a lot of them? Yeah, there's another one every fucking week. Yeah. And it's just like, really? You guys are that close? I don't even know who the fuck you are. Yeah.

Yeah. Are you that guy who came over once? Yeah, oh, that guy that was fucking annoying? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Oh, do people buy those fucking books? Yeah, yeah.

There's an audience for that that just desperately needs to consume everything. Well, that's the scariest thing about it. And I don't know, like it seems like a lot of the dudes in the dock, I don't know who the trusted humans are. Who is that? They're sort of the, as we put it, the collective brain trust of everything with my band and all the decisions that need to be made so we can make sure that we push forward in the most succinct and agreed-upon

clear way for the best results. Right, but that's also like a first line of defense against sycophants and weirdos. Exactly. I think we're able to take anything, any issue or any event and we're able to talk about it and find a solution that we can all agree upon and move forward with. Because that's another thing about those 80s bands is that, you know, there was just, because I was doing, I was a kid, you know,

in my early 20s doing comedy at the Comedy Store in, you know, 87. And, you know, that was when hair metal was all over the place. And there were just like really fucked up people. Too many ulterior motives, too many personal managers, too many guys going, hey Dave, you'd be better without these guys, you don't need them.

And then all of a sudden he leaves and there you go. Yeah, or you want a bump? Yeah, pretty much. So like the bump guys. There's a lot of people who are like, so what did you learn in your time at Van Halen? And it's like most of the stuff I learned was what not to do, what to avoid.

For you. Seeing the history, knowing that I could, you know, like, hey, find people you trust. Well, when you were in it, like, were they still around? No, I think they had it figured out, but I think just hearing stories and, but then also just seeing the relationship of like, hey man, I wish we could all get along.'t that be great yeah instead of just kind of kind

of here to play together and then see you later I guess you know I I think it seems like you know I got a buddy of mine who's a music manager you know JD John Daniel he's a crush management no he's got like he's got train and Courtney love okay the Weezer now, but a sweet guy. But when he was in music, he kind of told me that these personalities, specifically front men... I found that my dad would call it LSD, lead singer disease. I found most singers

who maybe can't play an instrument are kind of there to be there because they wanna, they wanna everybody look at me. Yeah. You know? And they're a little nuts. Yeah, yeah, it takes a little bit of, you know, narcissistic, you know, idiocy to kind of, but.

And he, John was a bass player. So the rhythm section, they're like solid, you know what I mean? Like Cuz the bass player he doesn't want to be there cuz he wants to be the bass player He's there cuz he wants to play. Yeah, you know, right, right And then you know and the drummer's the drummer and then like the guitar and the lead singer that's got to be the roughest Yeah, that's that's the toughest position cuz that's what everybody's looking at and did you like but like in terms of like You know Sammy. I mean, do you have a relationship with him? No, not too much.

I mean, we're cordial, I guess, but you know, it's just, I'm just desperate to avoid the drama. You know, I just wanna be, I just wanna kind of figure my own shit out and just avoid the drama in all ways I can. Well, I read some piece that, you know, you had a nice, you know, interaction with Anthony. Yeah, Mike is great.

I think he's another one that's just kind of caught in the crossfire between everybody, between the singers and all that. But he came to see you out in Vegas, was it? Mike is just a genuine good dude. Yeah. And I just think people wouldn't expect us to be friendly with each other,

but it's like that's when you get lost in the social media battles of bullshit. But the other point of it is on some level, it's like you were a kid. Yeah. That's the kid that was hanging around. I was a kid just trying to. You know what I mean? Like, so those guys at least have to know like, oh yeah, it says Wolfie. Yeah, I know Wolfie's a good kid.

Yeah, that's all he said. But then it just became a. Oh, that became a fucking shit storm too. Yeah, Mike was like, yeah, no, Wolfie's a good kid. Yeah, and that's all he said, but then it just became a. Oh, that became a fucking shit storm too? No, not that, that was good. I'm just talking about me being in VH to begin with. Oh yeah, yeah, right. But do you find, what kind of, in terms of the possibility of sycophants and weirdos,

do they come at you? I mean, do you have your own now? At a certain point, I think I've blocked all of them. That's a wonderful feature on social media. When just any weird vibes show up, it's like gone. So I may have carved my own little position where I don't get it that much anymore, but they're definitely out there.

But do you have fans that- Yeah Yeah, yeah, there's wonderful people who are fans of Mammoth. You know, it's really fun when people are like, I never really listened to Van Halen, but I enjoy Mammoth, and then you see the Van Halen fans underneath them go, how fucking dare you? You know? And they're all like old dudes.

Yeah, they can just, people, it's okay. You know? Like, it's... It's okay, man. I know it's special and important to you, but it doesn't mean it has to be for everybody else. Well, it's just so funny about that generation because they've gotta be, like if you were in high school, you were in Van Halen, the first one came out.

I mean, you're 60 or older, right? Look, I get you lost your virginity at a drive-in movie to Panama, and that's why it's so important to you, you know? But like, it doesn't mean it's, that's a tough thing about art and that's why it's so important to you. You know, but like it doesn't mean it's, that's a tough thing about art and music is that it's purely subjective. But you know, what I think is objective

and you can't ignore is dad's effect on the industry and what he did for music and electric guitar. That can't be argued, that's not a subjective thing. You know, what's subjective is if you enjoy it or not. Or if it's even in your rotation. Exactly. Because you've got to have this whole new generation of people that are coming through, you know, that's...

I imagine the era of old guys that are closer to you are like Dave's age. And so those guys' kids have got to be listening to you. Yeah, and that's the fun sort of, uh, that generational sort of gap you see where it's like there are Van Halen fans who come to see me play, but they bring their kids who are fans of, of what I'm doing. It's really cool to see them bond over, over that.

I really love that. It's very nice. Because again, it's, it's just a vocal minority that are really the dickheads. Everybody else out there is usually really positive and kind. Yeah. I went back and listened to the first couple of Van Halen records, and it's like, wow. It's good. But I think the difference was it was fun.

Yeah. There wasn't this teen angst. No, there's a really cool thing about not taking yourself seriously while destroying at the same time. I think they might've invented that. Yeah. Kind of, you know what I mean? Because if he, he could have chosen to be menacing.

No, just to see dad up there smiling while, while just completely obliterating everybody is just a really cool thing to see. And when he, so after the Van Halen tour, that's when he got sick? Yeah. So we did three tours. We did 2007, then we did an album, and then we did 2012. We actually went to Japan for a sec, Australia for a show. And then in 2015, we released a show we did at the Tokyo Dome. The live one, yeah. And then went on tour for that. And then it wasn't, then shit was good. You know, it was good until, let's see, about 2019.

Yeah. And that's when it all sort of went to hell. When the motorcycle accident? Yeah. And it just never kind of, never relented after that. March 17th, 2019 2019 from that date on, it kind of just didn't, it went up and down, but it never got better. Yeah.

It sounded so scary. Yeah, it wasn't. Yeah. I mean, it was. But I think that despite the tragic element and however you feel now, it must, you must, like, it's a rare thing, you know, to be able to deal with it, but also in a lot of cases,

you know, people aren't there when it happens. So I assume that in the process of those last few months, you had to know right on some level. I think, but at the same time, I was so naive and so desperate to keep that glass half full, that I was like, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna get through this, nothing bad. It's not gonna, that wouldn't happen.

Everything's gonna be fine, we're gonna get through it. And I think I really convinced myself of that. But there were moments where it really felt like, shit, we're gonna get through this. It's gonna be fine, you know? Because he's a pretty young dude. Yeah, it's too young, man. So, like, he didn't even, he wasn't even older than his dad. His dad passed at 66.

Yeah, how old was he? 65. Oh, yeah? Yeah. And, but old was he? 65. Oh yeah? Yeah. And, but you were there for it. Every day, man, I slept in that hospital. Your mom too? No, she visited a lot, but it was really,

it was me, my uncle Patrick, and my dad had met a caretaker when he was at this place overseas in Zurich, who was a really great dude. His name was Leon. And we were sort of this unit that just were at any time. I still am starting to slowly getting over. If I get a phone call outside of 8 AM and 2 AM, if I get a call either a little too early or a little too late that My heart jumps, and I'm like fuck. What's wrong? What yeah? Yeah, yeah, and it came to a point where

Anybody like in that area knowing what was going on would would call an immediate glow everything's okay Yeah, but here's what's it you know and then talk about whatever the fuck they want to write right? I'm still slowly getting over that panic of seeing the phone ring outside of a normal hour. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's those little things that you don't think about. Where was he, at Cedars? St. John's, which was where I was born. Really, where's that at?

Santa Monica. Okay. Do you feel like on some level, you did get some closure? In what way? I mean, in way that like you know when you see someone when you're there for somebody that you know is that important and family you know right up till the end and he he was lucid or no? No no no I don't think there was much closure because it was unexpected.

Was this the stroke that really killed him? Yeah. I mean, it was due to the cancer and everything. Yeah. Yeah, if you want to get specific. I remember leaving that night, said bye, and last thing he said was, I love you. That's good.

And it's like, I'll take that. Yeah. I will hold onto that. And then it wasn't until I got a call early morning the next morning that he was kind of unresponsive. But he was still there. But it was two days later that it happened. I got that call October 6th in the morning. It was like, I think it was maybe 8, 830 or something. And he was like, hey, the doctor was like, you're gonna wanna come over.

It's not looking good. It's like, I'll be right there. Not even two hours later. Yeah, and you were just there holding his hand kind of thing? 10, 14. Jesus Christ, and you called your mom? Yeah, my mom was there. Was your uncle?

Yeah. Yeah, I can't imagine. It's tough. That's the fucked up thing is that everybody for the most part has to go through something like that. And that fucked up. You can't know it's totally fucked up. How the hell are we supposed to deal with that?

I think about all the time, you know, my, uh, my girlfriend passed away during COVID and it wasn't a COVID and it was a complete, you know, she was 54 and it came out of nowhere. It was so sorry, man. Thanks. And it was like, uh, like some very, you know, aggressive form of leukemia that she didn't even know she was 54 and I came out of nowhere. I'm so sorry man Thanks, and it was like like some very you know aggressive form of leukemia that she didn't even know she had And you know and she got sick and within days she was gone, and I couldn't go to the hospital and stuff and you just

Like what happens is that you all of a sudden you're dealing with this inevitability? And then the realization that you know everybody everybody is going to deal with this inevitability, and then the realization that everybody, everybody is going to deal with this somehow, and how they experience their grief, that's on them, but it's unavoidable. Jared Slauson Yeah, that's the fucked up thing. All we're doing, all life is, is just trying to figure out how to stay happy amongst all the eventual trauma. Pete Slauson Yeah, right. And also, to sort of somehow know

in your mind and in your heart that this is something built into the human experience and that moving on is essential. But how do you, because when grief at the beginning, you can't control any of that shit. You can't control your crying, you can't control when it's going to happen. You, you know, it's just your brain, like no matter what you do to be like, I'm okay, let's just go eat. You know, and then all of a sudden you're just crying in your burrito. Oh dude, that whole first tour that I did in 2021.

With Mammoth? Yeah, it was Mammoth. Our first tour we were opening for Guns N' Roses. What the fuck. Every single night when I was in my bunk, I was just sobbing, just trying to keep it away from everybody. It's like, I don't wanna make this everybody's problem,

but I'm still going through shit. Oh yeah. You know, and it's just, that's all you can do is just, you know, I think growing up in the household I was growing up in, we tended to hold things in, you know? But I found that when it comes to stuff like this,

you just have to let it out. It's like taking a shit. It's like an emotional shit. You just gotta get it out of your body. Let it happen. Just let it happen. Like it must be amazing. I mean, did you tour with,

did you go to a lot of shows growing up? Yeah. Oh yeah, absolutely. Like on some level, you know, just being in an arena setting, a rock show setting, has gotta be like a fucking trigger. Yeah, it fucking kills me that Dad can never come to a Mammoth show. Yeah.

You know, I was having dinner after Metallica show, they do like these dinners. Oh, that's nice. And I was hanging out with James, and he was wearing his son's band shirt. Yeah, yeah. And I saw that and I was like, fuck. Yeah.

Dad would be so stoked to wear a Mamas shirt. They saw you once though, right? He was there for rehearsals. Oh, OK. And he had the music. He loved the music. He showed it to everybody who would listen or not listen. He was super proud, which is why I just,

man, I just have that one opportunity. I'll never have it. And your mom goes over it. She's at every show. She's, I mean, her fucking, her Twitter handle is Wolfie's mom. She's as proud as can be. And that's, it's wonderful.

That's great. So when you're touring with Gun guns, oh like was yeah with slash He's a good guy slash is a great guy. And we was he kind of like understanding and yeah. Oh for sure Yeah, no slash was was He's a really great dude. We actually just toured with him again. Oh, yeah for solo stuff in in Europe. Yeah, he's a wonderful guy Interesting guitar player, right? Yeah, he's crazy. It's like, you know, I don't even know what's going on. He's gotten bluesier lately.

Yeah, he's doing that blues album. Yeah, it's crazy, cause he kind of came back around to it. Yeah. You know, cause when I talked to him, you know, I was like, what album, you know, broke your brain? And it was like Rocks by Aerosmith. And you're like, oh, that makes total sense.

Yeah. That's the whole thing. Well, I'm glad you're doing well. And you I the the new album is great. Thank you, man And and it was very you know, it was it was a great story. It's a rare story, you know for that Genre, yeah behind the music where you know, you're the focus of it But the backdrop is you know dealing with your dad's illness, but it's not like it it's not this sort of like, oh, it's amazing, they're not all dead story. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? It's more of a...

It's definitely a different take on the sort of behind the music. Yeah, it's more of a, like a tribute and a heartfelt sort of portrait of a guy. That's what I view myself as. I'm just, you know, people are always clamoring. It's like, get up there, you better play Panama for me. You owe it to us. And it's like, nah, man, I think just me existing and playing music is a tribute within itself to my father. Absolutely, buddy. Well, it's good to talk to pleasure, man. Thank you for having me. Nice guy. Good musician. Sweet guy. Good kid. Turned out all right. You know, it's a good story.

You can get his tour info at mammothwbh.com and watch his behind the music on Paramount Plus. Hang out for a minute, folks. Hey folks, let your imagination soar by visiting audible.c. com. And we'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. amount plus hang out for a minute folks. Hey folks, let your imagination soar by visiting audible.ca audible has the best selection of audio books without exception, along with popular podcasts and exclusive audible originals all in one easy app, whether you listen to stories, motivation, expert advice, basically any genre you love, you can be inspired to imagine new worlds, new possibilities, new ways of thinking. Listening can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits, and ultimately your overall well-being. Enjoy Audible anytime while you're doing other things.

Household chores, exercising, on the road, commuting, you name it. Audible makes it easy to be inspired and entertained as part of your everyday routine without needing to set aside extra time. You might want to check out some audiobooks by our recent guests like I Curse You With Joy by Tiffany Hanish or Sonic Life by Thurston Moore. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day A audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca Hey folks, I don't know if you know about this house that I live in now, but one of the reasons I bought it was that the garage had been converted into a room.

There was a bathroom put in, there was drywall put on the other side of the door, and basically it was no longer a garage, it was a room. And I thought, oh, well this is is amazing I'll do my podcast in here and honestly aside from using it as a place to do the podcast this is now a perfect space to host on Airbnb. Now do a little thought experiment for yourself think about where you live got extra bedrooms a guest house maybe your whole house is just very comfortable even when you're not home while you're, your home could be on Airbnb. It's easy to do and it's a great way to earn some extra cash.

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Hey for full Meron subscribers tomorrow We've got more exclusive material from my recent interviews that didn't make it into the actual Episodes like more from my talk with Jude Law I could tell that like I'm clearly you know making a scene. There's other people involved from my talk with Jude Law. that played back to me. Yeah. Yeah. Just turn around. Like, can I please just be allowed to be annoyed a little bit. That's coming up tomorrow on the full Marin to subscribe, go to the link in the episode description or go to wtf pod.com and click on WTF plus. And a reminder before we go, this podcast is hosted by a cast. Now we'll go into the vault to find a riff I'm gonna be a man, I'm gonna be a man I'm gonna be a man, I'm gonna be a man Boomer lives!

Monkey! The Fonda! Cat angels everywhere! Thanks for watching!